Balancing means for centrifugal driers



June 6, 1933. w. v. B. noazm's BALANCING IBAHS roa csmlmu. nuns rim June 19. 1930 INVENTOR txwfim' Patented June 6, 1933 WALTER B. ROBERTS, OF PRINCETON, NEW

BALANCING MEANS FOR GENTRIFUGAL DRIEIRS Application filed June 19,

My invention relates to a method and means of balancing the load in a centrifugal drier to avoid excessive vibration at the high drying speed normally employed. If the basket or clothes container is driven at a sufiiciently high peripheral speed to promote effective drying, the vibration due to unbalanced distribution of clothes or other articles to be dried is very objectionable and it is not easy by eye to so distribute the contents as to avoid this difficulty. My invention provides a simple means and method for quickly and easily effecting the desired balance.

I have chosen for illustration a form of machine which may employ the same perforated container for both washing and drying by ca rsing the basket to assume difierent angular positions. as such a machine is particularly easily adapted for the application and use of my invention, but this feature is,.of course. not essential.

In the draw ing Fig. 1 illustrates the basket or container and a suitable type of suspension; Fig. 2 shows a fragment of a driving P: o u

member in suitable angular-relation for washing; Fig. 3 is a similar indication of a driving member in suitable angular relation for drying, and Fig. 4 a fragmentary sectional view on line mm of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a container of a form suitable for, washing and drying, and suitably perforated. The basket is mounted on a shaft or spindle 2 arranged to rotate in a bearing 3 and provided with a suitable sustaining or thrust bearing 4. The bearing 3 is pivotally hung in a forked member 5 as shown, or in any other suitable manner such that it may swing in one plane. The lower end of shaft 2 is provided with a suitable clutch member or formation for driving engagement with power driven cooperating means. Fig. 2 indicates a driving member in an angular relation suitable for washing. The part .7 is given a rotative speed suitable for washing in any of the well known ways. A similar co-operating driving member is shown at 8, Fig. 3, arranged in upright relation for centrifugal drying, The container 1, in practice, is mounted in a suitable tub or tank not shown, since machines of arranged, Advantage is thus ta 1830. Serial No. 462,308.

this type are on the market and well known to those skilled in the art. Driving means for the clutch members form no part of my invention and are also wellkn'own. i

Attached to the support 5 is a awl or latch K .9 arranged to engage with .a soc et- 10 in the bearing 3 when the basket, and with it the bearing 3, are swung about the pivots 6 to an angular position intermediate the washing and the drying positions as indicated, for 00 example, by the dotted outline in Fig. 1. In this position the spindle 2 must be free from any driving engagement or other-restraint which might prevent free turning in response to slightly unbalanced arrangements of the 65. contents within the basket and its inclination should not-be sufficient to cause the basket contents to fall from their arranged positions but suflicient to cause an unbalanced basket to rotate in its bearing to bring the heaviest portion lowermost. In the washing position the driving member 7 is engaged with the spindle 2 for rotating the basket slowly, the articles therein falling continually to the lowest oint as the basket revolves. When 7 the was ling operation is completed and the spindle 2 and its driving member 8 are disengaged,'the spindle is swung toward the upright position and on the way the latch 9 engages with socket 10, or other equivalent l engaging means. The basket is'thus held and thecontents drained whilethe are being ken ofv tie free or non-driven position between the was ing and the dr ing positions to permit of holding the basket at such an angle as will not cause the contents to fall from the posi- I tions in which they are placed, butwill cause or allow turning of the basket to indicate unbalance, because the holding means engages .9 the bearing and in no way prevents the free turning of the spindle. If the spindle. were in engagement with .the drivingmeans np sufliciently delicate or useful indication qf unbalance could-be obtainerh' i i To use the device stamina to be. dried are arranged around the sidesbffthe basket by eye, one or two ofgood size 'bein conveniently left out; At. this time the asket may conveniently'be in its vertical, or drying,

position. It is then turned a few degrees from its vertical position until the pawl 9 engages the socket 10. In this position any material unbalance of the load, suflicient to be troublesome, will cause the basket to rotate to bring the heaviest part of the circumference to the lowest point. Articles previously left out may then be suitably disposed in the basket until no unbalance appears, usually without need of re-arranging those firstinserted. 1

In practice it is desirable to load the basket in its vertical position and start it in momentary rotation sufiicient to throw the contents to the periphery. If it is found to be in balance, no further adjustment is needed, but this rarely happens. By the rotation thus given the contents are sufiiciently compacted so that when balanced by addition of furtherarticles-or such slight re-arrangement' as-may be necessary-steady running in drying positi n is at once secured. By turning the container by hand while inclined any tendency; to a preferential position is easily detected and a still more exact balance may be attained.

The particular means used to hold the bashot in the slightly inclined balancing position can of course be varied to suit any particular machine or condition.

bearing for holding same in an inclined nondriving position intermediate said washing and dryin positions while allowing rotation of sai container in response to gravitational unbalance, said engaging means determining an inclined position such that an unbalanced condition of said container will cause rotation thereof, but that articles will not be displaced therein.

2. In a, centrifugal drier, a container. a spindle in axial alignment therewith, a clutch member for said spindle in vertical alignment therewith, horizontally pivoted bearing means for said spindle, positioned and arranged'to be turned tobrin said spindle into axial alignment with sai clutch mem her or out of ali ment therewith and means forretainin and bearing in a non-aligned P i ion, s ciently out of the vertical to cause said" container to turn in response to .an unbalanced load, but not sufiicient to cause said load to bedisplaced, in said container.

3-. In a centrifugal-drier,.a container, a

spindle in axial alignment therewith, horizontally pivoted bearing means for the spindle whereby said spindle may swing to a plurality of positions in a vertical plane, driving engagement means for said spindle arranged for engagement therewith in two positions of said spindle only; and means co acting to hold said spindle in a load balancing position intermediate said driving engagement positions while leaving it free to rotate in response to gravitational unbalance.

4. In a centrifu al drier, a container, a spindle in axial alignment therewith, horizontally pivoted bearing means for the spindle whereby said spindle may swing to a plurality of positions in a vertical plane, clutch means for said spindle arranged for alignment therewith in two positions of said spindle only; and latch means associated with said bearing means and arranged for engagement when the latter is moved to a position intermediate said aligned positions and at such an angle to the vertical as to cause said container to turn in response to an unbalanced arrangement of a load in said container but not such as to cause said load to be displaced in said container.

5. In a centrifugal drier, a container for articles to be dried mounted for high speed rotation about a vertical axis, disengageable clutch means for rotating said container about said axis, horizontally pivoted hearing means for said container whereby the latter may be moved from a vertical driving to an inclined balancing position and balanced While free from engagement with said clutch means, and means co-acting with said bearing means for retaining said container in said balancing position.

WALTER V. B. ROBERTS. 

